And while HDD is certainly new territory for the nearly century-old company, Toro are not exactly strangers with the underground utility market thanks to its Dingo compact utility loaders and TRX walk-behind trenchers.

“We feel as though we’ve established a presence in the underground utility market,” says Rick Rodier, Toro’s general manager of Sitework Systems. “Ride-on trenchers and HDDs are just stretching that presence.”

ICUEE attendees were the first to see the new Toro HDDs in person. Both the DD2024 and DD4045 were up and running Tuesday as attendees hopped in the operator’s seat and gave the drills a spin. Rodier says that Toro has 16 large dealers with the launch of these drills.

Toro DD2024

“The fundamentals of this business are things that we’re really good at,” Rodier says. “These machines fit our core competencies.”

The DD2024 features a compact design with a footprint that is 52 inches wide, 207 inches long and 74 inches high. The drill boasts 20,000 pounds of pullback force coupled with 2,400 ft.-lbs. of rotary torque thanks to its 74-horsepower Cummins B3.3 turbocharged diesel engine. Toro says its quad rack and pinion carrier design spread loads evenly for smooth and stable movement. The drill’s onboard mud pump pushes up to 30 gallons per minute and the floating carriage has two speeds, including a 120 feet-per-minute fast mode.

Toro DD4045

The DD4045 features 40,000 pounds of thrust and pullback coupled with 4,500 ft.-lbs. of rotary torque. It is powered by a 160-horsepower, Cummins QSB4.5 diesel, liquid-cooled engine and an on-board, infinitely variable drilling fluid pump that delivers a flow of up to 70 gpm. Toro’s rack and pinion carrier design is here as well and the carriage can travel up to 140 feet per minute.

For traction, both drills feature forward-mounted track drive motors with a planetary gear system that Rodier says the company feels is underutilized in the industry.

Both drills also allow operators to use single or dual stick controls and feature backlit LCD screens that monitor the drills’ performance. And for hard rock drilling, an air hammer can be integrated and controlled form the DD4045 display. Also on the DD4045, operators can choose to use cruise control when back-reaming.